You wouldn't think that cleaning your room would get you into so much trouble. Lucy tried hard to tidy her bedroom, just as Mum had told her to, without using magic. The problem was the room didn't seem to know that. Every time Lucy returned from a well-earned break from cleaning up, she found her room tidier than ever. Lucy, unfairly grounded, for tidying her room WITHOUT magic, soon begins to think her house might be haunted?by a ghost who loves cleaning.A sequel to Lucy Newton, Little Witch, and Lucy Newton: Cat Trouble.
In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.
The fabulous sequel to Lucy Newton, Little Witch (which was shortlisted for the 2019 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards), Lucy Newton: Cat Trouble features a brand-new, funny, magical adventure, illustrated with lively pictures.
The urge to tidiness seems to be rooted deep in the human psyche. Many of us feel threatened by anything that is vague, unplanned, scattered around or hard to describe. We find comfort in having a script to rely on, a system to follow, in being able to categorise and file away. We all benefit from tidy organisation - up to a point. A large library needs a reference system. Global trade needs the shipping container. Scientific collaboration needs measurement units. But the forces of tidiness have marched too far. Corporate middle managers and government bureaucrats have long tended to insist that everything must have a label, a number and a logical place in a logical system. Now that they are armed with computers and serial numbers, there is little to hold this tidy-mindedness in check. It's even spilling into our personal lives, as we corral our children into sanitised play areas or entrust our quest for love to the soulless algorithms of dating websites. Order is imposed when chaos would be more productive. Or if not chaos, then . . . messiness. The trouble with tidiness is that, in excess, it becomes rigid, fragile and sterile. In Messy, Tim Harford reveals how qualities we value more than ever - responsiveness, resilience and creativity - simply cannot be disentangled from the messy soil that produces them. This, then, is a book about the benefits of being messy: messy in our private lives; messy in the office, with piles of paper on the desk and unread spreadsheets; messy in the recording studio, the laboratory or in preparing for an important presentation; and messy in our approach to business, politics and economics, leaving things vague, diverse and uncomfortably made-up-on-the-spot. It's time to rediscover the benefits of a little mess.
An epic quest, a dragon, a knight in shining armor—this classic children’s story is the perfect read for 3rd and 4th graders who love medieval fantasy. A magical toy castle plunges 10-year-old William into a wild fantasy adventure—where he discovers the true meaning of courage. When his beloved caretaker Mrs. Phillips tells him she's leaving, William is devastated. Not even her farewell gift of a model medieval castle helps him feel better—though he has to admit it’s fascinating. From the working drawbridge and portcullis to the fully-furnished rooms, it's perfect in every detail. It almost seems magical. And when William looks at the silver knight, the tiny figure comes to life in his hand—and tells him a tale of a wicked sorcerer, a vicious dragon, and a kingdom in need of a hero. Hoping the castle's magic will help him find a way to make his friend stay, William embarks on a daring quest with Sir Simon, the Silver Knight—but he will have to face his own doubts and regrets if he's going to succeed. William’s story continues in The Battle for the Castle, available as a redesigned companion edition.
Lucy¿s mum is always busy, going to this meeting and that, leaving Lucy alone in their old house with one strict rule: NO MAGIC.Lucy doesn¿t mean to conjure the giant green slug. She only wanted a friendly kitten to keep her company.Now, with a talking spellbook and a grumpy cat called Thomas they must race to get rid of the slug before it eats the prized cabbage garden of the witch next door ¿ and before her mum gets home.A lively, entertaining story for young readers.
Bellwether Prize winner Hillary Jordan’s provocative new novel, When She Woke, tells the story of a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of a not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned and rehabilitated but chromed—their skin color is genetically altered to match the class of their crimes—and then released back into the population to survive as best they can. Hannah is a Red; her crime is murder. In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a path of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith.
The comic duo behind I Don't Want to Be a Frog brings you Chip the dog, a hilarious pup who's got some "wisdom" to share. Are you a dog in need of advice? Fear not: Chip the dog is ON IT in this super-silly guide to living your best canine life. Chip is seven; he knows things. Like what to eat (important papers, the fancy bird the humans cooked for the fancy dinner, Grandpa’s teeth), and what not to eat (bees). He won’t get those mixed up, will he? Pet lovers will see their own goofy fur-friends in Chip's earnest yet ridiculous antics, and readers who love funny animal stories will find their next favorite book buddy with Chip the dog, who's patiently waiting to eat your homework and slobber on your clothes. And don't miss Chip the dog's other life lessons in Don't Trust Cats. ★ Nominee: Oklahoma Redbud Read Aloud Book Award, 2023 ★ Nominee: Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award, 2023 ★ Nominee: South Carolina Book Award, 2024-25 ★ Nominee: Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr., 2024-25
Meet a brave little girl called Masha who outwits a big bad bear with some tasty pies, and a beautiful but none too bright rooster, his long-suffering friends, and a cunning fox! Two Trickster Tales from Russia is the launch title for Christmas Press, a new Australian publisher specialising in beautiful picture books for children which feature traditional stories from many lands, retold by well-known authors and stunningly illustrated in a classic style. Two Trickster Tales from Russia includes the lively, funny Russian folktales, Masha and the Bear and The Rooster with the Golden Crest, retold in a fresh and engaging style by award-winning writer Sophie Masson, author of more than fifty books for children and young adults. It is the first book for new illustrator David Allan, and his gorgeous illustrations are inspired by classic Russian children's picture books. Suitable for a wide age range, Two Trickster Tales from Russia is a delight to read aloud to young children, as well as for older children to read on their own, and makes a wonderful gift for Christmas and any time of the year. About the author The award-winning and internationally-published author of more than 50 books for children, young adults and children, Sophie Masson was born in Indonesia of French expatriate parents and came to Australia as a school-age child, spending much of her childhood shuttling between France and Australia, in the process developing an intense love of writing and reading. Her delight in traditional stories, combined with a lifelong fascination with Russia, a country she has visited several times, has resulted in several books with a Russian theme, including two novels, The Firebird (Hachette 2001) and Scarlet in the Snow(Random House Australia 2013), and her first picture book, Two Trickster Tales from Russia, which is the realisation of a long-held dream.Sophie says: The stories in Two Trickster Tales from Russia, Masha and the Bear and The Rooster with the Golden Crest are two folk tales that are well-loved in Russia, but not so well-known outside it. I chose them because the two of them embody a lively sense of fun--it's great to see the small and apparently powerless outwitting big brutes or cunning schemers! There's also a strong feel of the woods, which are so much a part of Russian life and culture. And there's a great rhythm to the stories which I've added to by having little verses here and there. About the illustrator: David Allan completed a Diploma in Fine Art and has been part of several Fine Art exhibitions of Landscapes and Portraits in Oils. He's worked in bookshops and as a graphic designer and web designer, but always dreamed of becoming an illustrator. Influences in his work include classic illustration masters such as Arthur Rackham and Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin (especially for Two Trickster Tales), along with Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha and more recent illustrators such as Alan Lee and William Stout. Two Trickster Tales from Russia is his first book. He is currently working on another title for Christmas Press.David says: For the artwork I used pen and watercolour on paper. The style for this book is pretty much an extension of what I normally do. Prior to starting the project, Sophie introduced me to the work of the great Russian Illustrator Ivan Bilibin whose work I had somehow missed before and now love. His use of a clean line and areas of flat colour style has been a huge influence on the look of the illustrations I produced for Two Trickster Tales from Russia. About the designer:Fiona McDonald: A graduate of the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney, Fiona McDonald has worked as a graphic designer, doll-maker, cloth sculptor and artist. She is also the author of several books of non-fiction, including the best-selling The Popular History of Graffiti(Skyhorse Publishing 2013), as well as an illustrated novel f
Phoebe and Elliott are space-mad best friends but Julia, the unpopular new girl at school, has tagged along with them on them on a visit to the local Space Station. There, they meet the three astronauts competing to be the first woman on the moon, and they're also introduced to the magnificent rocket known as The Obsession, and its know-all super computer IMP. But when they start the rocket without meaning to, and IMP malfunctions, the adventure takes a real turn for the unexpected! Sure, a moon mission is great: but how do you get back to Earth?Written with Rebecca Fung's characteristic verve and humour, this is a really fun read for young readers 6-9, illustrated with lively pictures by David Allan.
